PM KHANAL ANNOUNCING RESIGNATION IN PARLIAMENT SUNDAY

PM KHANAL TO ANNOUNCE RESIGNATION IN PARLIAMENT SUNDAY

Kathmandu, 7 Aug.: Prime Minister Jhalanath is to announce his resignation in parliament, Annpurna Post reports.
The prime minister will announce the resignation in Sunday’s parliament session by taking special time.
Sources said this was conveyed by the premier to the main opposition NC Saturday through a contact.
Nnnn


MEDIA GOOGLE

“UDMF will boycott House proceedings if the big three parties forge consensus to extend the CA term once again.”

(NSP leader Manish Kumar Suman, The Himalayan Times, 7 Aug.)
nnnn
MAOISTS SEEK COMBATIVE ROLE FOR FIGHTERS
Kathmandu, 7 Aug.:Despite the UCPN-Maoist demand for combative role for its ex-fighters after their integration into the national army, the Nepali Army’s integration proposal has no such provision, Lekhanath Pandey writes in The Himalayan Times.

In the NA proposal submitted to then PM Madhav Kumar Nepal by Chief of Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung in January, a special Directorate General within the NA was envisioned for integrating Maoist combatants and incorporating personnel from Nepal Police and Armed Police Force. The Directorate General will be involved in road construction, infrastructure development, industrial security, humanitarian rescue and conservation. All duties are non-combative.

Initially, Maoists saw the plan for integrating their combatants into the national army positively, but after its recent CC meeting, the party has come up with a new demand — a combative responsibility in future.

Former generals and military experts say the demand contradicts the army’s idea of a directorate general, which is a purely non-combative entity within the NA. “The directorate is itself a headquarter-based entity of Nepali Army. It supports combative missions in technical aspects,” said former lieutenant general Balananda Sharma. “There are divisions to handle combative roles.”

According to a military expert, personnel under the directorate will not be given combative assignment. “They can carry weapons, but will not pull the trigger in the battlefield,” said the expert.

Many think the Maoists have demanded a combative role for their fighters after understanding the basic fact about NA’s directorate. Non-Maoist parties, particularly Nepali Congress, see the latest Maoist demand as erratic.

“Either Maoists should accept the NA integration proposal or abide by their commitment to the AMMAA agreement,” said Ram Saran Mahat, NC member of the Special Committee on supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants.

The AMMAA agreement envisions integrating Maoist combatants into the security forces as per standard norms. “It’s not logical to accept the proposal partially,” Mahat said. He, however, argued that integrated personnel could carry and use weapons for self-defence.

Maoist member in the Special Committee Secretariat Chandra Prakash Khanal,

however, said the PLA could be given combative role after integration as per the NA’s proposal if there is understanding among all parties.
Nnnn